1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to gutter washers and, more particularly, to gutter washers that are guided by a gutter rim as the washer is moved along the gutter in the manner of spray washing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Accumulation of leaves and debris in rain water gutters commonly attached to roofs causing obstructions and clogging in the gutters is a well known problem. Climbing on the roof or a ladder to clean the gutters is troublesome and possibly unsafe. Therefore, a number of remote gutters washers have been disclosed that extend a garden hose to the gutter through a hollow but rigid tube with a spray nozzle on its end to wash debris from a gutter with garden hose water pressure. However, difficultly is generally encountered in keeping the nozzle properly directed in the gutter, therefore devices have been disclosed that use the gutter rim as a track to guide the nozzle along the gutter. For example, Lawson in U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,241 describes a supporting roller rolling on a two sides of a gutter rim with a larger stabilizing roller therebetween intended to run within the gutter. Putnam in U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,586 describes a hub member rolling on a gutter rim and guided thereon by a wheel member attached thereto intended to run on the inside of the gutter.
Gutters are usually mounted to a roof with large spikes extending from outside the gutter through the gutter rim across the gutter near its top, through a gutter inside rim and into the roof. Thus, when guide devices such as described by Lawson and Putnam run along the gutter, they encounter the large spikes across the gutter. The gutter washer must then be lifted over the spikes and repositioned on the gutter rim. This is awkward, time-consuming and troublesome.
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved gutter washer adapted to be guided by a gutter rim as it rolls on it but able to step over gutter spikes without removing the washer from the gutter.